Format Question: How to Properly Notate Your Novel's Part/Section?

glion · Jan 16, 2010

1) On page 11 of William Shunn's sample novel format webpage (seen here: http://www.shunn.net/format/novel.html), he presents a sample "Part" (as in Part I, Part II, etc.) manuscript page. Is this how it's properly done?

2) Second: Does the chapter count begin anew at each new part? In other words, should the first chapter of "Part II" be Chapter 1? Or should it carry over from Part I and therefore be enumerated as, say, Chapter 23?

3) Is "Part" the standard term today? For instance, what about "Section"? Is there a consensus or preference among agents?

4) Neither my novel's parts nor chapters have names...I assume to adjust my manuscript accordingly I would simply use Shunn's format but remove the names and attendant colon (after "Part I") and adjust the spacing?

Any advice (or links to other webpages with sample format pages) would be appreciated. Thank you.

Matera the Mad · Jan 16, 2010

AFAIK there is no standard way to divvy up a novel. There are novels with no chapters. Do what you like, whatever feels right, works right.

dpaterso · Jan 17, 2010

glion said:
2) Second: Does the chapter count begin anew at each new part? In other words, should the first chapter of "Part II" be Chapter 1? Or should it carry over from Part I and therefore be enumerated as, say, Chapter 23?

The only way I've seen this done, in novels, is for the chapter numbers to increment, they're never reset to Chapter 1.

-Derek

Danthia · Jan 17, 2010

glion said:
1) On page 11 of William Shunn's sample novel format webpage (seen here: http://www.shunn.net/format/novel.html), he presents a sample "Part" (as in Part I, Part II, etc.) manuscript page. Is this how it's properly done?

There's no right or wrong way to break up a novel. That's just how he does it. If you want to do it that way, great, if not, also great.

glion said:
1) 2) Second: Does the chapter count begin anew at each new part? In other words, should the first chapter of "Part II" be Chapter 1? Or should it carry over from Part I and therefore be enumerated as, say, Chapter 23?

Up to you. I've seen it done both ways.

glion said:
1) 3) Is "Part" the standard term today? For instance, what about "Section"? Is there a consensus or preference among agents?

Again, up to you, though Part is what I've seen used most often. It's traditional storytelling language.

glion said:
1) 4) Neither my novel's parts nor chapters have names...I assume to adjust my manuscript accordingly I would simply use Shunn's format but remove the names and attendant colon (after "Part I") and adjust the spacing?

Naming or numbering is entirely up to you. Do whatever feels right to you for your story.

Jamesaritchie · Jan 17, 2010

Do what Shunn does and every editor out there will love you. No, don't start renumbering chapters for a single novel, even if it's broken into sections.

Format Question: How to Properly Notate Your Novel's Part/Section?

glion

Matera the Mad

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Danthia

Jamesaritchie